Please review the full version. I have a slightly shorter version below:WHETHER YOU ARE a seasoned member of a ghost-hunting group or an occasional investigator who likes to participate around Halloween or at special events, there are rules you must follow. Too often we have heard of ghost-hunting groups that seem to operate without any rules at all, and the result is almost always chaos, bad evidence, sometimes even illegal activity and injury

Here are some guidelines - 10 Commandments - that every paranormal investigation group should consider and take to heart:

1. Thou Shalt Be Informed

Before you start an investigation, learn all you can about the location and the paranormal activity that has been reported there. Seek any books, magazine and newspaper articles that might have been written about the place. If possible, interview eyewitnesses to the activity. The more you know about a location, the better you'll be able to conduct your investigation. You'll know about specific areas to look into, the right questions to ask, and will be better able to understand any evidence uncovered. 2. Thou Shalt Be Prepared

you should be prepared physically and equipment-wise. Physically, be sure you are feeling well enough to endure whatever the investigation might demand: climbing stairs, creeping through damp basements, etc. If you have a bad cold, you don't want to spread it among your fellow members or your clients.Make sure your equipment is ready: plenty of extra batteries, clean camera lens, plenty of memory cards for cameras and camcorders, tape for voice recorders and camcorders, note-taking supplies, flashlights, extension cords.... You should have a checklist of equipment and supplies. 3. Thou Shalt Not Trespass

Just because you have a well-organized ghost-hunting group with cool T-shirts does not give you automatic permission to go into any abandoned building or even any cemetery after hours (most are closed after sunset) to do an investigation. Even though a building looks abandoned, the property is still owned by someone, and going into it without permission is illegal.Always - ALWAYS - get permission to investigate 4. Thou Shalt Be Respectful

A big part of your ghost-hunting group's reputation is based on how respectful it is - to the property being investigated and to any clients that might be involved. A property owner or client is going to want to feel comfortable that your group is not going to be destructive in any way, that the possibility of theft is never an issue, and that you won't be noisy or rude.Treat any client and witness with the utmost respect. Listen to their reports of experiences carefully and seriously. Every member of your group should be especially mindful of this when investigating a private residence.Be respectful of your team members. Someone else who needs your respect is the investigatee - the ghost or spirit that might be haunting a location. 5. Thou Shalt Not Venture Off On Your Own

We have heard the news reports of ghost investigators who have gone off on their own and gotten seriously injured - even killed. When your ghost hunting team splits up to cover various areas of a location, they should always be in groups of two or more. Safety is a primary reason. 6. Thou Shalt Not Bear False Witness

For those who don't know, bearing false witness means lying. And if you're going to falsify, exaggerate, or otherwise alter evidence, then why are you doing ghost investigation? These investigations are about trying to find the truth about a possible haunting as best we can. 7. Thou Shalt Be Skeptical

Be diligent in trying to debunk gathered evidence. Find plausible explanations; do not automatically jump to a paranormal explanation. Being skeptical will make any possibly genuine evidence all the more valuable. 8. Thou Shalt Not Covet Thy Neighbor's Evidence

In other words, do not steal from other ghost-hunting groups. Many groups with websites have found that their evidence - EVP, pictures, etc. - has been "borrowed" by other groups without giving credit where it is due. Do not take evidence from other groups. 9. Thou Shalt Know Thy Limits

It doesn't happen very often, but on occasion a ghost investigation can get rather intense. Phenomena might be taking place that you do not have the experience or skills to deal with. Know your limitations on what you are able to handle. You might have to call in or turn over the investigation to a more experienced investigator, particularly if there are physical attacks. 10. Thou Shalt Be Professional at All Times

This last Commandment is one that overarches and includes all the others: Be professional. You want your ghost-hunting group to be respectful and respected, to be honest and forthright, to be ethical and have the highest degree of integrity. Without these things, your group is doomed to failure and will have contributed little if nothing to the search for truth in this field.

Corollary or 11th Commandment: Thou Shalt Not Charge for Thy Investigations. No group should charge a client for an investigation. Period. Not one dime. In special circumstances, if your group is being asked by a client to travel a long distance to conduct an investigation, the client might offer to pay part of the transportation costs, but this should not be a requirement.